88 Bronco II with starter problems. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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88 Bronco II with starter problems.

Bronco2inWNC

New Member
Joined
June 10, 2009
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City, State
Asheville, NC
Year, Model & Trim Level
88 Bronco 2
Alright, I have a 88 Bronco 2, 2.9L V-6, 5-speed and 4wd. first a lil backround info. My starter has been acting up for a while. And by acting up i mean not turning the flywheel. So not having any money to buy a new starter led me to tap on the starter housing with a small hammer. Only had to do this occasionally and once I gave the starter a cpl of sharp raps it turned over. So one day I jump in the bronco and it decides it aint going to start so I do my little rapping deal and tryed again. Still no start so I rolled it off and got it somewhere where I could work on it. So I take the starter off and head over to Advance Auto Parts to get a remanufactured starter. I get the "new" starter home and back into the Bronco and now when I turn the key I get a grinding sound. I figure maybe it was the starter so took it back and paid the difference for a NEW starter. Put that one in and get the same grinding noise then wat sounds like the starter free spinning. I pulled the starter back off and got to looking at the gear on the starter and it looks like the starter is only going in about half the way. Meaning only half of the teeth on the starter's gear is making contact with the flywheel.

Now I have read a few of the starting problems posts and I am going to go out and check the solenoid and see if its bad. I have already looked over the flywheel and it looks alright. I even took the time to count the teeth on the flywheel. I know that I have 138 teeth on the flywheel. If anyone cud help me out and lend some advice on this matter it would be greatly appreciated. Also if someone knows how many teeth the Stock Original FlyWheel had and cud post that I appreciate it.

Thanks
 



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Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread to the Bronco II section. The flywheel could be bad even though the teeth appear to be fine. It only has to be a little low for the teeth not to mesh together.
 






I'm having a very similar problem with a 1989 ranger,4x4,2.9,super cab. We took this one on trade, the former owner installed a new flywheel and couldn't get it back together, my son and I tore it back down to the flywheel and installed clutch and trans transfer case, etc. the starter was new at the time as well, I have tried a couple new starters and one will start the truck a few times with insane grinding noises, then has to be loosened or reinstalled then will work a few more times. the other not so much. Orielleys lists like six different starters for this ranging in price from 50.00 to about a new truck pmt. btw my old flywheel was 138 teeth. this seems to be a common problem some one must know something. ha ha
 






If it didn't "grind" before I is probably a starter with the wrong pinion on it - or out of speck. I have never had good luck with remanned crap. If by the off chance that it is not seated correctly or you do have a bad section on the flywheel you can just roll the truck forward in gear a few inches and should allow you to get it going again.
 






Did you end up finding out what the problem was? I have an 85 Bronco II that is doing the same exact thing.. I have replaced the starter with a refurbed one and a starter shim... Still the same thing.. All that grinding... I need to fix asap so I can start driving from North Carolina to California... I hope someone is still looking at these forums..
 






I have an '88 Bronco 2 with the EXACT same problem! I've been buying and installing so many types of starters and then having to return them... I've just bought a new flywheel but the one my vehicle has seems exactly like the new one so i doubt that's the problem. Could it perhaps be bellhousing?
 






doubetrouble

My 88 bronco 2 has similar problem, starter bolts to spacer but looks like it is not proper fit. Bolt holes line up but stater face does not sit on spacer between bolt holes so all that sits on spacer is bolt hole surface. Is there a different starter or spacer for manual tran. mine is 2.9 with 5 spd manual
 






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